I sighed. The guy had probably been a pretty good judge before his brain had started to slip. Maybe there were medications he could take to regain his faculties.
Nick took his phone from his pocket. “Excuse me, Judge.” He wandered toward the door. “Hey, Pierce. No warrant for this particular building.” He explained the circumstances and then listened for a minute. “What do they have? You think? Okay. We’ll be right there.” He clicked off and turned toward me.
I was already shaking my head. “No. We can’t give Melvin a deal.” The guy had created opioids that could make the meth epidemic look like a minor societal inconvenience.
Nick’s eye gleamed. “A couple of the biker bunnies are talking. Want deals. One will have three strikes from burglary and prostitution charges. It appears she’s been to the hidden lab with Whitaker.”
My breath caught. “She can lead us to the lab? She’s seen it?”
“Looks like it. I just need to make her a deal,” Nick said. “She wants it in writing.”
The judge reared up. “Then get it in writing and acquire her affidavit to support the search warrant. With the cops on the property, they aren’t going anywhere. Let’s do this right.” He rolled his hips, and his skirt danced. “Alberto? We need to flesh out your affidavit, as well. You need more evidence as to what Melvin Whitaker said, what you heard, and better details about the kidnapping.”
I winced. We had tried to hurry it along.
The judge pounced on his keyboard. “I can’t write it for you, but you can dictate. And then you sign it and so will I.” His eyes got a faraway look. “I’d like to end a major drug operation while I still, you know, can.” He started typing. “It’d be a nice way to go out.”
Nick paused by the door. “Anna? Maybe you should come with me?”
“Oh.” The judge’s face fell. “Well, okay.” He looked around the large and very quiet room. “You can redo the affidavit at your office and then come back. I have some good floral tea from Hawaii.” He glanced down at his grass skirt as if surprised.
I faltered. We had tried to take advantage of him. “We’re under a bit of a time crunch.” The lab might lead us to the one shipment that had been let loose. Who knew how big it was? “The Judge and I will fix this affidavit while you get the deal and information from the bunny. You should only be an hour or so, Nick.” Maybe I could talk the judge into getting some help.
Nick shook his head. “No. Devlin and that Spider are still out there.”
I snorted. “Come on. Nobody followed us down this private, one-way street.” I cocked my head and mouthed to him, ‘I’m armed.’ My gun was right back where it should be at my waist and beneath my jacket.
Nick’s eyebrows lifted. “Well, all right then.”
The judge danced toward Nick and the door. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll engage the alarm.” He pointed to what looked like a brand-new faceplate with numbers and pretty colors.
Nick nodded. “I’d appreciate that. I’ll be back quickly.” He opened the door and walked onto the porch, heading into the storm.
The judge shut and locked the door before engaging the alarm. He turned around and smiled through his dentures. “I’ll get us some tea before we work on the affidavit.” Humming, he walked out of sight and down a long hallway. “It has been a while since I worked on an affidavit other than signing one,” he called out. “This might even be fun.”
It seemed like the guy was really lonely. Maybe I should introduce Thelma to him. Or Georgiana. I looked around the impressive office. His diplomas, bar certificates, and judgeship certificates had been framed and hung in free areas on the walls. Law books squeezed out more law books, all looking well read.
I moved for a table by the corner that held more books along with a few framed pictures. The first was of the judge holding his diploma with a couple of older people smiling behind him. His hair had been dark brown, and he’d looked young and energetic. The next picture was of him with a very pretty blonde woman, captured probably in the early seventies, if the clothes were to be taken seriously.
A framed photo of four boys at the lake caught my eye. I pulled it out, looking them over. The judge